Faber Institute Podcast: Recent Episodes
Richard Ganz
The Faber Institute is committed to “awakening souls” in an age when the existence of the soul, and of its particular capacities and formidable powers, is overlooked. We do this by putting people in touch with sources of depth and vision within themselves through which they gain a discerning capacity to recognize the highest good of persons, and its counterfeits.
DESCRIPTION - TNS 18,4 - John Donne (1572-1631) on 21 April 2026
John Donne (1572-1631) is a contemporary of our Guest at The Night School last month - St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622). Both were “divines”, which means “One who has officially to do with ‘divine things’; formerly, any ecclesiastic, priest, or other member of the clergy; now, one skilled in divinity; a theologian.” The latter was particularly famous for his letters of spiritual direction; the former, our Guest this month, is esteemed for his religious poetry, especially for his “Holy Sonnets”.
His life and his understanding of God and religion, grounded in the convictions and habits of medieval Europe, came to pieces in the emergent “new world” of science and of the constantly, often violently, changing political scene. His personal failures and suffering deepened him to such a degree that he trained for the Priesthood and was ordained in 1615. Then when his wife died in 1617, his suffering increased and drove him deeper into the mystery of God and life. It is in this context that he composed his justifiably famous “Holy Sonnets”. He is judged the greatest of what came to be called “the Metaphysical poets”. (George Herbert, a previous Guest of The Night School, is counted among this number.)
With our Guest this month, we will look closely at these sonnets, in whom we find some of the most famous lines in English poetry. For example, “Death be not proud” and “What if the present were the world’s last night?” and “Batter my heart three person’d God” and in a prose essay, “No man is an island.”
Welcome to the closing Part of The Night School, Series 18.
DESCRIPTION: TNS 18, 3 - St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622) on 17 March 2026
Our Guest in this Part III of The Night School, Series 18, is one of the giants in the art of Spiritual Direction. He sought to heal the Church’s obvious ills in an Age when it was tearing itself apart, from within.
Unlike those reformers who moved to attack vigorously the words and works of the Church’s (internal) “enemies”, St. Francis de Sales followed another Path. His way earned him the highest designation the Church can bestow on any person - being proclaimed a “Doctor of the Church” in 1877 (only 38 of them exist in the whole history of the Church).
St. Francis was convinced that the source of the Church’s difficulties came from the “learned” Church (of which he was one), who having never fully understood the love of God, and as a result had never paid the price of becoming as loving as God is towards others, distorted the teaching of God, fomenting division and enmity within the Church.
The internal battles became about “taking sides”, about despising one’s intellectual enemies, and even becoming murderous when dealing with them. And these distortions in the intellect quickly became calamity in the social dimensions of the Church.
St. Francis, who interestingly had to suffer a fierce temper for much of his life, is remembered for the kindness and gentleness that “breathes” through all he spoke and wrote. He was beloved and a source of unity and patience and forbearance - a credible, costly example of divine love, demonstrating what that looks like in a person and to what effects. He wrote: “True devotion does better still. It not only does no injury to one’s vocation [by which he means primarily the “lay” vocation], but on the contrary adorns and beautifies it.” And, “In short, devotion is simply that spiritual agility and vivacity by which charity [divine love active in a cooperating human being] works in us or by aid of which we do good works quickly and lovingly.”
Welcome to The Night School.
DESCRIPTION - TNS 18, 2 - St. Bede the Venerable (672-735 CE), Doctor of the Church - on the (biblical text) Song of Songs - Love as Learning
Our Guest has been understood to have been the most learned of the Anglo-Saxon Christians. The particular Form of love that we will notice in him is his love expressed in his devotion to learning of God and of the world that God has given us.
The age of the Anglo-Saxons extends from the time when the Romans lost control of Britain around 410 CE up to 1066 CE when the Normans invaded Britain. The Anglo-Saxons (the Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes - invaders from modern day Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands) were the original “English” peoples (vs. the Britons who were far older, Celtic, inhabitants of Britain), and the type of English that they spoke and wrote was what we call “Old English”.
Bede was only 7-years old when he entered a monastery (Benedictine), spending the rest of his life there. Mostly teaching himself by his voracious reading, he had what was clearly a divine desire (what we call a “charism”) to love God through learning. And because God is lord of all, so Bede became through extraordinary effort a polymath; i.e., he became an accomplished student of many disciplines, not just the Bible and all the ways of reading it, not just of Theology, but also, and most famously, of History, and more specifically, his writing of the history of how the Anglo-Saxons came to become Christians. His Ecclesiastical History of the English [i.e., Anglo-Saxon] People is a founding document of the whole discipline of History.
Last month at The Night School, our Guest was the author of the biblical book, Song of Songs. This month, we will appreciate how Bede’s love for learning gave him the insights he had into Song of Songs. We will explore sections of his Commentary on Song of Songs.
Welcome to the Night School.
DESCRIPTION: TNS 18, 1 (Tuesday, 20 January 2026) - the Author (s) of the Song of Songs (late 4th to early 2nd centuries BCE) - Love as Eros (Erotic)
I am aware of no biblical book that has received the attention of so many of the greatest minds and mystics, Jewish and Christian, in history than this biblical book. “If all the [biblical] writings are holy,” Rabbi Akiva proclaimed in a discussion of the Song’s canonicity, “the Song of Songs is holy of holies.” And the magnificent Spiritual Canticle of St. John of the Cross (1542-1591) is clearly a nod to this great biblical text. Robert Alter (born 1935), a Professor of Hebrew at the University of California at Berkeley and a renowned translator of the whole Old Testament puts it this way:
"But even against that background, the Song of Songs stands out in its striking distinctiveness—a distinctiveness that deserves to be called wondrous. The delicate yet frank sensuality of this celebration of young love, without reference to God or covenant or Torah, has lost nothing of its immediate freshness over the centuries: these are among the most beautiful love poems that have come down to us from the whole ancient world."
Welcome to The Night School.
The third of our “Johns” of Series 17 is only the second native-born Englishman since the 8th century to be raised by the Church to the status of Doctor of the Church.
It is because of this remarkable man, and what was done by Pope Leo XIV on 1 November 2025 in Rome, that I designed Series 17 to include these three Johns: John the Evangelist, John Chrysostom, and John Henry Newman.
It is one thing to be a profound thinker, even a holy thinker of the great Mysteries of God and God’s way with human beings. John Henry Newman was that. But it is quite another capacity for that same person to be able to stay in close to the way human beings actually are - Pope Francis spoke of pastors being “close enough to the sheep to take on their smell” - rather than as they ought to be. John Henry Newman was this also. There is a beautiful, articulate humanity that comes through in John’s writings.
In order to get a sense of this about John, I have chosen to concentrate attention on his justly revered Parochial and Plain Sermons (eight volumes of them), paying close attention to perhaps four of those sermons.
Welcome to the conclusion of Series 17 of The Night School.
Our second John of Series 17 has been better known, and profoundly revered, in the eastern half of Christianity than in its western (Roman) half, though both halves esteem his life of holiness and brilliance as a pastor and speaker and writer, designating him a Doctor of the Church. He was so designated in the year 1568 with three other giants of holiness and intellect: St. Basil the Great (239-379 CE) St. Gregory of Nazianzus (330-390 CE) St. Thomas Aquinas, OP (1225-1274)
About St. John Chrysostom we find remarks such as: “But at the center of his being is a dynamic and courageous faith that deserves to be praised. And feared. The fact is, John’s life and preaching not only inspire, they also convict. There was a fire in John’s gut; he loved Jesus Christ and had little patience with Christians who did not lay every ounce of body, mind, and soul at Jesus’ feet. As much as I’m drawn by his spiritual fire, I have to admit, I’m hesitant to get too close lest I get singed.” (Mark Galli in 1994) And in the learned Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 4th edition: “He is, furthermore, among the fathers of the church, the one who has best understood the difficulties, the trials of an authentically lived Christian life, whether in the monastery or in the world. His apostolic activity took place in the middle of a society which was not at all in harmony with the demands of Christianity. Despite everything, his message, with its charge of love for God and of love for people, has reached even us today in light of its gospel message.”(Malingrey & Zincone in 2014)
We will get to know John through a series of seven sermons (388-389CE) that he preached on the biting parable of Jesus recorded in Luke16:19-31 - about a rich man and about a grindingly poor man who cowers at his front door, Lazarus by name. Welcome to the Night School.
The Night School, Series 17 (September through November 2025) - Three Johns - Wise Ones from East of Us
The Night School has always been about the “Guests” whom we invite to be with us, people often from the deep past whom we meet in the texts that they left behind when they went to be among our Ancestors.
Why have we invited “three Johns”; that is, the Evangelist, Chrysostom, and Newman? We chose them upon learning that for the first time in this 21st century, the Catholic Church will elect someone as a Doctor of the Church. Pope Leo XIV had indicated in July 2025, that he would place St. John Henry Newman among these greatest and wisest of Christian teachers. So in celebration of this, we have placed him, in Series 17, with two other Doctors of the Church.
What is a “Doctor of the Church”?“ A title regularly given since the Middle Ages to certain Christian theologians of outstanding merit and acknowledged saintliness. Originally the Western theologians Gregory the Great, Ambrose, Augustine, and Jerome were held to be the ‘four doctors’ par excellence; but in later times the list has been gradually increased to nearly 40. There are four female doctors, with Teresa of Ávila named first, in 1970.” [Matthew J. Mills, “Doctors of the Church,” in The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, ed. Andrew Louth (Oxford, United Kingdom; New York: Oxford University Press, 2022) 565–566.]
The Night School, Series 16 (February through May 2025) - Light from Light
In the famous Creation account in Genesis 1, it was only on the fourth day of Creation that God created the sun and the moon - the light by which we see the physical world in the day and at night.
But it was on the first day of Creation that God placed into the inmost fabric of our created world the inner light, giving humans the means to recognize God and the difference between what is good and what is bad (Genesis 1:3-4). In other words, long before the Light of the World was born of Mary, there was the inner light - the mark in all things of the Triune God who created and sustains all things - the light that guides “all who seek God with a sincere heart.”
What this means is that long before Christ and then Christianity, great-souled human beings in all cultures and ages responded to and served the inner light. They were light from (the divine) Light, and the whole world reveres what they gave to humanity in their exceptionally accomplished lives.
The four Parts of The Night School, Series 16, will search for the fruitfulness of the inner light in four great souls: Aristotle (384-322 BCE), Cicero (106-43 BCE), Seneca (4 BCE - 65 CE), and, the sole Christian of this group, who knew the Light of the World, the Christ, John Cassian (360-430 CE).
Welcome to Series 16.
The Night School, Series 16 (February through May 2025) - Light from Light
In the famous Creation account in Genesis 1, it was only on the fourth day of Creation that God created the sun and the moon - the light by which we see the physical world in the day and at night.
But it was on the first day of Creation that God placed into the inmost fabric of our created world the inner light, giving humans the means to recognize God and the difference between what is good and what is bad (Genesis 1:3-4). In other words, long before the Light of the World was born of Mary, there was the inner light - the mark in all things of the Triune God who created and sustains all things - the light that guides “all who seek God with a sincere heart.”
What this means is that long before Christ and then Christianity, great-souled human beings in all cultures and ages responded to and served the inner light. They were light from (the divine) Light, and the whole world reveres what they gave to humanity in their exceptionally accomplished lives.
The four Parts of The Night School, Series 16, will search for the fruitfulness of the inner light in four great souls: Aristotle (384-322 BCE), Cicero (106-43 BCE), Seneca (4 BCE - 65 CE), and, the sole Christian of this group, who knew the Light of the World, the Christ, John Cassian (360-430 CE).
Welcome to Series 16.
The Night School, Series 16 (February through May 2025) - Light from Light
In the famous Creation account in Genesis 1, it was only on the fourth day of Creation that God created the sun and the moon - the light by which we see the physical world in the day and at night.
But it was on the first day of Creation that God placed into the inmost fabric of our created world the inner light, giving humans the means to recognize God and the difference between what is good and what is bad (Genesis 1:3-4). In other words, long before the Light of the World was born of Mary, there was the inner light - the mark in all things of the Triune God who created and sustains all things - the light that guides “all who seek God with a sincere heart.”
What this means is that long before Christ and then Christianity, great-souled human beings in all cultures and ages responded to and served the inner light. They were light from (the divine) Light, and the whole world reveres what they gave to humanity in their exceptionally accomplished lives.
The four Parts of The Night School, Series 16, will search for the fruitfulness of the inner light in four great souls: Aristotle (384-322 BCE), Cicero (106-43 BCE), Seneca (4 BCE - 65 CE), and, the sole Christian of this group, who knew the Light of the World, the Christ, John Cassian (360-430 CE).
Welcome to Series 16.
The Fireside Gathering is an annual event in which we invite guests to come experience the works of the Institute. Funds raised through this event support the ongoing work of the Faber Institute - the work of souls - activated through classes, retreat, spiritual direction, writing and speaking. We invite you to support the Faber Institute by making a donation online: https://faberinstitute.com/donate/
In Series 15, we have picked our Guest based on the date when his or her feast day is celebrated (annually) according to the Catholic liturgical calendar. Mechthild’s feast day is November 19th. She began a poem in this way:
Ah blessed absence of God,
How lovingly I am bound to you!
You strengthen my will in its pain
And make dear to me
The long hard wait in my poor body.
She, and in a way similar to Julian of Norwich (who was a Guest at The Night School in the Fall of 2018), Mechthild received a series of “revelations”, a series of intense experiences of God that profoundly deepened and recentered her life. Her effort to express what she saw and understood became a work that took her fourteen years to write, which she called The Flowing Light of the Godhead. About this one of the greatest living scholars of her thought has the following to say.
Margot Schmidt writes - “Rather, it [this book] is the expression of a basic human drive that comes to the surface, sometimes more, sometimes less. To these basic human drives we can reckon hunger, love, sex, and a yearning for God. This last-mentioned drive appears to have been so smothered by the others that today we scarcely still perceive it as a basic drive. And yet, the testimony of the mystics teaches us that the human person in its capacity for God (capax Dei) soars above all other recognized drives and surpasses them in a marvelous and terrifying way, once we have been awakened by the spark of God’s spirit or God’s love. In the face of this bursting forth of a passion for God, everything else suddenly retreats. An important characteristic of this passion for God is that it irrevocably prevents us from falling back into an all too vapid and tame existence. In essence Mechthild of Magdeburg’s book, The Flowing Light of the Godhead, is nothing other than the moving story of God’s heart and the human heart, and of Lucifer’s cunning attempts to interfere with the ties that join them.” [Margot Schmidt, “Preface,” in Mechthild of Magdeburg: The Flowing Light of the Godhead, ed. Bernard McGinn, trans. Frank Tobin, The Classics of Western Spirituality (New York; Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1998), xxv-xxvi.
The second Guest of our Series 15 of The Night School has her annual feast day on October 15th, which is one reason that we have chosen her to be our Guest on this night. She wrote in a letter in 1574: “It is necessary that we bear our weakness and not try to constrain our nature. Everything amounts to seeking God, since it is for Him that we search out every kind of means, and the soul must be led gently.”
Britannica offers this short summary: "St. Teresa's beliefs centered on prayerful meditation and poverty for her sisters. St. Teresa of Avila (born March 28, 1515, Ávila, Spain—died October 4, 1582, Alba de Tormes; canonized 1622; feast day October 15) was a Spanish nun, one of the great mystics and religious women of the Roman Catholic Church, and an author of spiritual classics. She was the originator of the Carmelite Reform, which restored and emphasized the austerity and contemplative character of Carmelite life. St. Teresa was elevated to Doctor of the Church in 1970 by Pope Paul VI, the first woman to be so honored.”
St. Teresa was our Guest at The Night School in the Spring of 2019, who was introduced to us by Joel Kibler. Teresa’s inexhaustible depth and almost unparalleled grasp of the ways of God with human beings could cause us to choose to have her visit each year, and we still would only have experienced and understood a small part of her enduring gift to the world.
Saint Robert Bellarmine died in 1621, in the chronological center of the historical phenomenon known as the Counter-Reformation or the Catholic Reformation. He was a bishop, a cardinal, and a member of the relatively young Society of Jesus, founded by Saint Ignatius Loyola [and his nine companions] in 1540. In his own times and for many generations thereafter, he won wide recognition for his writings on the spiritual life, which ran through many editions and translations. He also won recognition for his writings against the Protestants and especially for his opposition to certain ecclesiological [church life] ideas espoused by King James I of England. When he was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1930, he brought with him into our own century his reputation for skill in religious controversy rather than his fame as a writer on spirituality, which had been part and parcel of the esteem in which he was held in earlier centuries. [John O’Malley,“ Preface, ”in Robert Bellarmine: Spiritual Writings, ed. John Patrick Donnelly, Roland J. Teske, and John Farina, trans. John Patrick Donnelly and Roland J. Teske, The Classics of Western Spirituality (New York; Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1989), 3.]
This fifth and final Guest of this Night School series (Series XIV on Angels: A Forgotten Friendship) is a 4-year old runaway child, whose name is Anna, whom the author, Fynn (a pseudonym), met in the middle of the night on the street in the dockyards in 1930s London. Fynn, a 16-year old when he met Anna, would be profoundly “schooled” in some of the most profound questions about life, and especially, about “Mister God”.
A Mother's Retreat is an annual retreat of the Faber Institute for mothers of all ages, from pregnant women and new moms with babies, to empty nesters and grandmothers. Tara Ludwig, Spiritual Director at Faber Institute and mother of three little ones, is the Retreat Director, guiding us through a reverent exploration of the power of “Mother”. Together, we consider how our spiritual capacities as mothers create depth and meaning within our own homes and families, as well as empower us as agents of tenderness in a broken world. Through deep reflection and prayer, inspiring and honest dialogue, as well as shared laughter and tears, we are at common cause in affirming the dignity of motherhood and its role in fostering a more united human family.
A Mother's Retreat is an annual retreat of the Faber Institute for mothers of all ages, from pregnant women and new moms with babies, to empty nesters and grandmothers. Tara Ludwig, Spiritual Director at Faber Institute and mother of three little ones, is the Retreat Director, guiding us through a reverent exploration of the power of “Mother”. Together, we consider how our spiritual capacities as mothers create depth and meaning within our own homes and families, as well as empower us as agents of tenderness in a broken world. Through deep reflection and prayer, inspiring and honest dialogue, as well as shared laughter and tears, we are at common cause in affirming the dignity of motherhood and its role in fostering a more united human family.
A Mother's Retreat is an annual retreat of the Faber Institute for mothers of all ages, from pregnant women and new moms with babies, to empty nesters and grandmothers. Tara Ludwig, Spiritual Director at Faber Institute and mother of three little ones, is the Retreat Director, guiding us through a reverent exploration of the power of “Mother”. Together, we consider how our spiritual capacities as mothers create depth and meaning within our own homes and families, as well as empower us as agents of tenderness in a broken world. Through deep reflection and prayer, inspiring and honest dialogue, as well as shared laughter and tears, we are at common cause in affirming the dignity of motherhood and its role in fostering a more united human family.
A Mother's Retreat is an annual retreat of the Faber Institute for mothers of all ages, from pregnant women and new moms with babies, to empty nesters and grandmothers. Tara Ludwig, Spiritual Director at Faber Institute and mother of three little ones, is the Retreat Director, guiding us through a reverent exploration of the power of “Mother”. Together, we consider how our spiritual capacities as mothers create depth and meaning within our own homes and families, as well as empower us as agents of tenderness in a broken world. Through deep reflection and prayer, inspiring and honest dialogue, as well as shared laughter and tears, we are at common cause in affirming the dignity of motherhood and its role in fostering a more united human family.
In Part IV of the Angels: A Forgotten Friendship Night School series, Rick Ganz introduces us to St. Peter Faber, SJ and his book At Work with Angels.
The Faber Sessions #10 Part 8 on The Last Battle from the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, presented by Rick Ganz.
“I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now.”
The Lenten Meditations are an annual habit of the Faber Institute, offered in support of expanding and deepening your spiritual practice during the season of Lent. This year's Lenten Meditations, offered on each of the six Sundays of Lent, have been thoughtfully composed and presented by Tara Ludwig of the Institute.
The Meditations will contemplate deeply what exactly it is that we mean when we say that Jesus Christ has suffered for our sake. In each episode of the Meditations, we will stand with Jesus during a particular moment of his Passion to notice not only the pain he experiences, but what he does with the pain, and together we will wonder if perhaps God relates to suffering very differently than we do.
May the time you spend side by side with the suffering Christ this Lent bring you ever closer to his beautiful heart.
In Part III of this Night School series on Angels: A Forgotten Friendship, we explore how it was that Angels became more fully integrated into the theological (not only the biblical) understanding of the Christian Church. Someone of the enormous capabilities of St. Augustine (353-430 CE) was the one to do this.
The Lenten Meditations are an annual habit of the Faber Institute, offered in support of expanding and deepening your spiritual practice during the season of Lent. This year's Lenten Meditations, offered on each of the six Sundays of Lent, have been thoughtfully composed and presented by Tara Ludwig of the Institute.
The Meditations will contemplate deeply what exactly it is that we mean when we say that Jesus Christ has suffered for our sake. In each episode of the Meditations, we will stand with Jesus during a particular moment of his Passion to notice not only the pain he experiences, but what he does with the pain, and together we will wonder if perhaps God relates to suffering very differently than we do.
May the time you spend side by side with the suffering Christ this Lent bring you ever closer to his beautiful heart.
The Lenten Meditations are an annual habit of the Faber Institute, offered in support of expanding and deepening your spiritual practice during the season of Lent. This year's Lenten Meditations, offered on each of the six Sundays of Lent, have been thoughtfully composed and presented by Tara Ludwig of the Institute.
The Meditations will contemplate deeply what exactly it is that we mean when we say that Jesus Christ has suffered for our sake. In each episode of the Meditations, we will stand with Jesus during a particular moment of his Passion to notice not only the pain he experiences, but what he does with the pain, and together we will wonder if perhaps God relates to suffering very differently than we do.
May the time you spend side by side with the suffering Christ this Lent bring you ever closer to his beautiful heart.
The Faber Sessions #10 Part 7 on The Horse and His Boy from the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, presented by Rick Ganz.
"Child," said the Lion, "I am telling you your story, not hers. No one is told any story but their own."
The Lenten Meditations are an annual habit of the Faber Institute, offered in support of expanding and deepening your spiritual practice during the season of Lent. This year's Lenten Meditations, offered on each of the six Sundays of Lent, have been thoughtfully composed and presented by Tara Ludwig of the Institute.
The Meditations will contemplate deeply what exactly it is that we mean when we say that Jesus Christ has suffered for our sake. In each episode of the Meditations, we will stand with Jesus during a particular moment of his Passion to notice not only the pain he experiences, but what he does with the pain, and together we will wonder if perhaps God relates to suffering very differently than we do.
May the time you spend side by side with the suffering Christ this Lent bring you ever closer to his beautiful heart.
In Part I, we had a narrative introduction to the work and mission of Angels - of a particular Angel, Raphael, at work among human beings - in the biblical Book of Tobit. In Part II, we are taken into a broader, deeper description of the Angels and their mission by the learned Jesuit Fr. Jean Danielou, SJ in his book published in 1953 (and still in print) The Angels and Their Mission.
With an accessible style and motivated by spiritual zeal to communicate clearly and movingly, Fr. Danielou gets us to notice how widely present are the Angels in the Bible, and very significantly present in the life and work of Jesus. We are shown how seriously the greatest of the early Christian teachers (the "Fathers of the Church" as they are called) took Angels and wrote about them.
The Angels were there all along, but nearly all of us have overlooked them, thinking them a fanciful decoration (a symbol for something else, etc.), things not worthy of our attention.
The Lenten Meditations are an annual habit of the Faber Institute, offered in support of expanding and deepening your spiritual practice during the season of Lent. This year's Lenten Meditations, offered on each of the six Sundays of Lent, have been thoughtfully composed and presented by Tara Ludwig of the Institute.
The Meditations will contemplate deeply what exactly it is that we mean when we say that Jesus Christ has suffered for our sake. In each episode of the Meditations, we will stand with Jesus during a particular moment of his Passion to notice not only the pain he experiences, but what he does with the pain, and together we will wonder if perhaps God relates to suffering very differently than we do.
May the time you spend side by side with the suffering Christ this Lent bring you ever closer to his beautiful heart.
The Lenten Meditations are an annual habit of the Faber Institute, offered in support of expanding and deepening your spiritual practice during the season of Lent. This year's Lenten Meditations, offered on each of the six Sundays of Lent, have been thoughtfully composed and presented by Tara Ludwig of the Institute.
The Meditations will contemplate deeply what exactly it is that we mean when we say that Jesus Christ has suffered for our sake. In each episode of the Meditations, we will stand with Jesus during a particular moment of his Passion to notice not only the pain he experiences, but what he does with the pain, and together we will wonder if perhaps God relates to suffering very differently than we do.
May the time you spend side by side with the suffering Christ this Lent bring you ever closer to his beautiful heart.
A Pilgrim’s Retreat is an act of sustained prayer by each of you - the Retreatant. It is spiritual exercise, because there is real effort involved, letting God really have you, your full attention, for the day.
A Retreatant is helped to stay attentive and available to God by the presence of others making the same effort and by the Retreat Directors - Rick Ganz and Tara Ludwig - who shape the Retreatant’s effort, and guide him or her, through a structure of spiritual Talks, silent prayer, time outside in Nature, and communal reflection.
This Retreat will explore how it is that God has chosen to work WITH us rather than FOR us.
A Pilgrim’s Retreat is an act of sustained prayer by each of you - the Retreatant. It is spiritual exercise, because there is real effort involved, letting God really have you, your full attention, for the day.
A Retreatant is helped to stay attentive and available to God by the presence of others making the same effort and by the Retreat Directors - Rick Ganz and Tara Ludwig - who shape the Retreatant’s effort, and guide him or her, through a structure of spiritual Talks, silent prayer, time outside in Nature, and communal reflection.
This Retreat will explore how it is that God has chosen to work WITH us rather than FOR us.
A Pilgrim’s Retreat is an act of sustained prayer by each of you - the Retreatant. It is spiritual exercise, because there is real effort involved, letting God really have you, your full attention, for the day.
A Retreatant is helped to stay attentive and available to God by the presence of others making the same effort and by the Retreat Directors - Rick Ganz and Tara Ludwig - who shape the Retreatant’s effort, and guide him or her, through a structure of spiritual Talks, silent prayer, time outside in Nature, and communal reflection.
This Retreat will explore how it is that God has chosen to work WITH us rather than FOR us.
A Pilgrim’s Retreat is an act of sustained prayer by each of you - the Retreatant. It is spiritual exercise, because there is real effort involved, letting God really have you, your full attention, for the day.
A Retreatant is helped to stay attentive and available to God by the presence of others making the same effort and by the Retreat Directors - Rick Ganz and Tara Ludwig - who shape the Retreatant’s effort, and guide him or her, through a structure of spiritual Talks, silent prayer, time outside in Nature, and communal reflection.
This Retreat will explore how it is that God has chosen to work WITH us rather than FOR us.
The Faber Sessions #10 Part 6 on The Silver Chair from the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, presented by Paul Pastor.
"I have come," said a deep voice behind them. They turned and saw the Lion himself, so bright and real and strong that everything else began at once to look pale and shadowy compared with him.
We begin our development of a more sufficient explanation of Angels than we typically rely on with the biblical Book of Tobit, a book included in the collection of Scripture that Jesus would have known. This “short story” is charming, interesting, and at times profoundly beautiful. It was in this Book that the Judeo-Christian tradition has one of its significant starting points concerning Angels.
Angels are everywhere attested in the Scriptures, and they regularly appear with Jesus, helping Him, assisting Him. Consider, how His conception was announced to Mary of Nazareth by the Angel that tradition calls “Gabriel”; His birth was announced to the shepherds by an Angel, and then the Heavens became “filled” with Angels praising this fact. And consider the two Angels who sat inside the empty tomb after the resurrection of Jesus, who met Mary Magdalene there and gave her instructions.
What is the deal with Angels? For what purpose did God create them? Are Angels “necessary”?, as some ask, who really have no idea how to think about Angels.
The Book of Tobit (written sometime between 250 BCE and 175 BCE - around the time that the Book of Daniel was written) is a good, accessible place to start our exploration.
Series 14 of The Night School for Deeper Learning, led by Rick Ganz, is titled "Angels: A Forgotten Friendship." The series will be about us deconstructing the wrong assumptions that we have made about the angels, when or if we ever bother to think about them. We will seek to open up for us a sufficient way to understand the reality of the angels and their godly purposes among us. What is God up to in this calamitous Age of our world and society? Might be be trying to open up for us, through the helplessness that we can feel these days, a way to discover a forgotten friendship?
The Faber Sessions #10 Part 5 on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader from the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, presented by Rick Ganz.
“Dearest,” said Aslan very gently, “you and your brother will never come back to Narnia.”
“Oh, Aslan!!” said Edmund and Lucy both together in despairing voices.
“You are too old, children,” said Aslan, “and you must begin to come close to your own world now.”
“It isn’t Narnia, you know,” sobbed Lucy. “It’s you. We shan’t meet you there. And how can we live, never meeting you?”
“But you shall meet me, dear one,” said Aslan.
“Are—are you there too, Sir?” said Edmund.
“I am,” said Aslan. “But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.”
Edith Stein (1891-1942) was born a Jew, separated herself from Judaism at the age of 13, claiming, as an honest agnostic will insist, “I am sure that their God is not God. I have still not met God.” She pursued a life of Philosophy, gaining a reputation as one of the most powerful and original Philosophers in the German world. But it was when she read, from cover to cover throughout one long night, the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila, that she exclaimed what she had experienced that night: “This is the truth!” She became baptized as a Catholic and eventually entered the Carmelite Order. Eventually she was hunted down by the Nazi Gestapo and transported to Auschwitz where she died.
Part IV of this series will take a pause on The Chronicles of Narnia and shift to a special reading of Christmas Carols.
This Session is led by Rick Ganz who will “read”, and find the lessons within, the great carols of the Advent-Christmas season.
Edith Stein (1891-1942) was born a Jew, separated herself from Judaism at the age of 13, claiming, as an honest agnostic will insist, “I am sure that their God is not God. I have still not met God.” She pursued a life of Philosophy, gaining a reputation as one of the most powerful and original Philosophers in the German world. But it was when she read, from cover to cover throughout one long night, the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila, that she exclaimed what she had experienced that night: “This is the truth!” She became baptized as a Catholic and eventually entered the Carmelite Order. Eventually she was hunted down by the Nazi Gestapo and transported to Auschwitz where she died.
The Faber Sessions #10 Part 3 on Prince Caspian from the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, presented by Rick Ganz.
Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ (1881-1955) was a Frenchman, Jesuit priest, geologist and paleontologist, and above all a mystic. At the center of his mysticism was a vision of how God is intensely alive and motivated with majestic purpose to bring all created things (not just human beings) into conscious unity. His stunningly beautiful vision of the unstoppable glory of God was given him during the four years that he served as a stretcher-bearer to soldiers fighting in the trenches of World War I.
The “shape” of this Retreat will be structured around four Talks by Rick Ganz concerning the discernment of spirits. Such Talks are not a “class”; they are a specific way of speaking to you, appealing to the deepest parts of you, so that you are helped to become more open to God. The Talks matter only if they open you in this way; only if the Holy Spirit becomes alive and active in you because of the Talks and the silence and the sharing with other retreatants.
The “shape” of this Retreat will be structured around four Talks by Rick Ganz concerning the discernment of spirits. Such Talks are not a “class”; they are a specific way of speaking to you, appealing to the deepest parts of you, so that you are helped to become more open to God. The Talks matter only if they open you in this way; only if the Holy Spirit becomes alive and active in you because of the Talks and the silence and the sharing with other retreatants.
The “shape” of this Retreat will be structured around four Talks by Rick Ganz concerning the discernment of spirits. Such Talks are not a “class”; they are a specific way of speaking to you, appealing to the deepest parts of you, so that you are helped to become more open to God. The Talks matter only if they open you in this way; only if the Holy Spirit becomes alive and active in you because of the Talks and the silence and the sharing with other retreatants.
The “shape” of this Retreat will be structured around four Talks by Rick Ganz concerning the discernment of spirits. Such Talks are not a “class”; they are a specific way of speaking to you, appealing to the deepest parts of you, so that you are helped to become more open to God. The Talks matter only if they open you in this way; only if the Holy Spirit becomes alive and active in you because of the Talks and the silence and the sharing with other retreatants.
The “shape” of this Retreat will be structured around four Talks by Rick Ganz concerning the discernment of spirits. Such Talks are not a “class”; they are a specific way of speaking to you, appealing to the deepest parts of you, so that you are helped to become more open to God. The Talks matter only if they open you in this way; only if the Holy Spirit becomes alive and active in you because of the Talks and the silence and the sharing with other retreatants.
The Faber Sessions #10 Part 2 on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe from the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, presented by Rick Ganz.
“Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. This story is about something that happened to them when they were sent away from London during the war because of the air-raids. They were sent to the house of an old Professor who lived in the heart of the country, ten miles from the nearest railway station and two miles from the nearest post office.”
Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ (1881-1955) was a Frenchman, Jesuit priest, geologist and paleontologist, and above all a mystic. At the center of his mysticism was a vision of how God is intensely alive and motivated with majestic purpose to bring all created things (not just human beings) into conscious unity. His stunningly beautiful vision of the unstoppable glory of God was given him during the four years that he served as a Chaplain to soldiers fighting in the trenches of World War I.
Our Guests for Series 13 are two mystics, each of whom we will invite twice to The Night School: Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and Edith Stein.
They were contemporaries in the 20th century, who in their professional lives were scholars of the highest order and who in their inner lives sacrificed much for the sake of God and for what God gave each of them to give to the world. One was a man and one was a women; one was French and one was German; one was a Catholic Christian from birth and one was a Jew who became a Catholic; one was a Jesuit Priest (the Society of Jesus) and one was a Carmelite nun; one was “hard” scientist in the fields of Geology and Paleontology and one was a philosopher; one spent his life under suspicion by his fellow Jesuits and by the Catholic Church and one was hunted by the Nazis and eventually exterminated in the gas chambers at Auschwitz; one died on Easter Sunday and one was canonized a Saint and designated by the Catholic Church a co-patroness of Europe. Both responded to the 20th century in such different ways; both were mystics of vision daring.
The Faber Sessions #10 Part 1 on The Magician's Nephew from the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, presented by Rick Ganz.
“We must now go back a bit and explain what the whole scene had looked like from Uncle Andrew’s point of view. It had not made at all the same impression on him as on the Cabby and the children. For what you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing: it also depends on what sort of person you are.”
Series 1 of The Faber Sessions in April-May 2020 was an exploration of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, written by him in the decade after World War II, the seven novels published, one per year, from 1950 to 1956. In that Spring of 2020, we read all seven novels - a novel per week - as the pandemic (impacting us in March 2020) had week by week locked us into our homes. We offered Series 1 to a select group, online. Now in this Series 10, we invite all of you to join us online (i.e, in your own homes and during the dinner hour: you are welcome to eat as you listen and engage) as we make our way into Narnia again: one novel a month from September 2023 to April 2023, with a pause taken for a special Session on Christmas Carols in December 2023. Each of these novels is like the experience we have of the best people we know, who are so approachable on first meeting them but whose depth and richness of insight becomes more and more as we know them better. The novels by Lewis are masterpieces - intensely wise and well-told tales.
Series 12 of The Night School of the Faber Institute explores, Guest by Guest, month by month, how it happens that when evil has gotten into the fabric of a culture (e.g., American culture), the soul/a person instinctively “retracts” in revulsion (very often unnoticed by a person - this retraction). That is, evil is a toxin that corrupts things so central to the soul’s essence that the soul/a person “pulls back” and finds/ establishes a defensive position in relation to that evil (doing this most often without noticing that he or she has done this). The soul/a person seeks a “safe” spot (i.e., a way of understanding himself or herself) in which to hide, something which Becker powerfully describes as “the vital lie”. When this is happening on a broad front in the people of an unhealthy culture, those people/that nation (government, church, social class) will quickly lose track of what being a human being actually is. Not knowing who we are at this fundamental level of awareness leaves us too able to be manipulated to “conform” to someone else’s “safe” version - vital lie - of personhood.
Series 12 of The Night School of the Faber Institute explores, Guest by Guest, month by month, how it happens that when evil has gotten into the fabric of a culture (e.g., American culture), the soul/a person instinctively “retracts” in revulsion (very often unnoticed by a person - this retraction). That is, evil is a toxin that corrupts things so central to the soul’s essence that the soul/a person “pulls back” and finds/ establishes a defensive position in relation to that evil (doing this most often without noticing that he or she has done this). The soul/a person seeks a “safe” spot (i.e., a way of understanding himself or herself) in which to hide, something which Becker powerfully describes as “the vital lie”. When this is happening on a broad front in the people of an unhealthy culture, those people/that nation (government, church, social class) will quickly lose track of what being a human being actually is. Not knowing who we are at this fundamental level of awareness leaves us too able to be manipulated to “conform” to someone else’s “safe” version - vital lie - of personhood.
Series 12 of The Night School of the Faber Institute explores, Guest by Guest, month by month, how it happens that when evil has gotten into the fabric of a culture (e.g., American culture), the soul/a person instinctively “retracts” in revulsion (very often unnoticed by a person - this retraction). That is, evil is a toxin that corrupts things so central to the soul’s essence that the soul/a person “pulls back” and finds/ establishes a defensive position in relation to that evil (doing this most often without noticing that he or she has done this). The soul/a person seeks a “safe” spot (i.e., a way of understanding himself or herself) in which to hide, something which Becker powerfully describes as “the vital lie”. When this is happening on a broad front in the people of an unhealthy culture, those people/that nation (government, church, social class) will quickly lose track of what being a human being actually is. Not knowing who we are at this fundamental level of awareness leaves us too able to be manipulated to “conform” to someone else’s “safe” version - vital lie - of personhood.
Series 12 of The Night School of the Faber Institute explores, Guest by Guest, month by month, how it happens that when evil has gotten into the fabric of a culture (e.g., American culture), the soul/a person instinctively “retracts” in revulsion (very often unnoticed by a person - this retraction). That is, evil is a toxin that corrupts things so central to the soul’s essence that the soul/a person “pulls back” and finds/ establishes a defensive position in relation to that evil (doing this most often without noticing that he or she has done this). The soul/a person seeks a “safe” spot (i.e., a way of understanding himself or herself) in which to hide, something which Becker powerfully describes as “the vital lie”. When this is happening on a broad front in the people of an unhealthy culture, those people/that nation (government, church, social class) will quickly lose track of what being a human being actually is. Not knowing who we are at this fundamental level of awareness leaves us too able to be manipulated to “conform” to someone else’s “safe” version - vital lie - of personhood.
The Faber Sessions #9 Part 1 on Poems of the Bible (specifically Isaiah 35 and Psalms 1, 42, 51, and 104), presented by Rick Ganz.
The Faber Sessions are always about the releasing of our culturally “colonized” Imagination (one of the traditional “powers of soul”), for the sake of opening access to the divine gift of HOPE. They are always about releasing the bondage of our Intellect (another of the traditional “powers of soul”) by presenting to it more beautiful images (e.g., in poems) about which to think. They are always about the cultivation of our Will (another of the traditional “powers of soul”), by which is meant the cultivation of a rich affective life, becoming a more “refined” person.
Series 9 is again about poems, and how to read them, so that we might be startled, surprised, moved, and delighted.
Series 12 of The Night School of the Faber Institute explores, Guest by Guest, month by month, how it happens that when evil has gotten into the fabric of a culture (e.g., American culture), the soul/a person instinctively “retracts” in revulsion (very often unnoticed by a person - this retraction). That is, evil is a toxin that corrupts things so central to the soul’s essence that the soul/a person “pulls back” and finds/ establishes a defensive position in relation to that evil (doing this most often without noticing that he or she has done this). The soul/a person seeks a “safe” spot (i.e., a way of understanding himself or herself) in which to hide, something which Becker powerfully describes as “the vital lie”. When this is happening on a broad front in the people of an unhealthy culture, those people/that nation (government, church, social class) will quickly lose track of what being a human being actually is. Not knowing who we are at this fundamental level of awareness leaves us too able to be manipulated to “conform” to someone else’s “safe” version - vital lie - of personhood.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these gatherings, we welcome a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, we may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
The Fireside Gathering is an annual event in which we invite guests to come experience the works of the Institute. Funds raised through this event support the ongoing work of the Faber Institute - the work of souls - activated through classes, retreat, spiritual direction, writing and speaking. We invite you to support the Faber Institute by making a donation online: https://faberinstitute.com/donate/
This is an audio recording of the Letter to Peregrinus, written and read by Rick Ganz. You can read the written version of this Letter here on our website: https://faberinstitute.com/2015/08/10/on-the-suicide-of-your-younger-sister/
In Part I, we focus on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, first published in 1818. We consider in this Faber Session how we make monsters and need to take responsibility for what we make, rather than distancing ourselves from them as if they are Other, “not like us at all." This significant novel is famous as much for how beautifully crafted it is as it is for how it has evoked things deep in the human heart, bringing them to light so that we might name them and for which to become responsible.
This is an audio recording of the Letter to Peregrinus #5, written and read by Rick Ganz. You can read the written version of this Letter here on our website: https://faberinstitute.com/2015/09/06/on-the-testing-of-a-married-relationship/
This is an audio recording of the Letter to Peregrinus, written and read by Rick Ganz. You can read the written version of this Letter here on our website: https://faberinstitute.com/2015/09/24/on-questions-asked-by-a-15-year-old-girl/
This is an audio recording of the Letter to Peregrinus, written and read by Rick Ganz. You can read the written version of this Letter here on our website: https://faberinstitute.com/2022/06/23/65-the-healing-of-language/
The Lenten Meditations are an annual habit of the Faber Institute, offered in support of expanding and deepening your spiritual practice during the season of Lent. This year's Lenten Meditations have been thoughtfully composed and presented by Tara Ludwig of the Institute.
The Meditations will explore each week a particular area of our common everyday experiences, familiar routines that we might typically think of as “outside” of our spiritual life, and seek to awaken us to how God is already laboring within these habits. On each of the six Sunday mornings of Lent, you will receive an invitation to expand your experience of the ordinary, via an e-mail link that will lead you to that week’s audio meditation.
May the extraordinary presence of God you discover within your ordinary life this Lent bring you one step closer in your journey to understand why Christ was willing to die for your beautiful life.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these gatherings, we welcome a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, we may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session III of Series X, Rick Ganz welcomes our special "guest" Owen Barfield.
The Lenten Meditations are an annual habit of the Faber Institute, offered in support of expanding and deepening your spiritual practice during the season of Lent. This year's Lenten Meditations have been thoughtfully composed and presented by Tara Ludwig of the Institute.
The Meditations will explore each week a particular area of our common everyday experiences, familiar routines that we might typically think of as “outside” of our spiritual life, and seek to awaken us to how God is already laboring within these habits. On each of the six Sunday mornings of Lent, you will receive an invitation to expand your experience of the ordinary, via an e-mail link that will lead you to that week’s audio meditation.
May the extraordinary presence of God you discover within your ordinary life this Lent bring you one step closer in your journey to understand why Christ was willing to die for your beautiful life.
Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold (1956). Walter Hooper, quoting Lewis about this novel that he wrote so late in his life (he died in November 1963): “This re-interpretation of an old story has lived in the author’s mind, thickening and hardening with the years, ever since he was an undergraduate. That way, he could be said to have worked at it most of his life.”
The Lenten Meditations are an annual habit of the Faber Institute, offered in support of expanding and deepening your spiritual practice during the season of Lent. This year's Lenten Meditations have been thoughtfully composed and presented by Tara Ludwig of the Institute.
The Meditations will explore each week a particular area of our common everyday experiences, familiar routines that we might typically think of as “outside” of our spiritual life, and seek to awaken us to how God is already laboring within these habits. On each of the six Sunday mornings of Lent, you will receive an invitation to expand your experience of the ordinary, via an e-mail link that will lead you to that week’s audio meditation.
May the extraordinary presence of God you discover within your ordinary life this Lent bring you one step closer in your journey to understand why Christ was willing to die for your beautiful life.
On this Tuesday evening before Ash Wednesday, Rick Ganz and Steve Moore will help us prepare to enter the 40 days of Lent. We will explore what the season of Lent is, why it lasts for 40 days, what we are supposed to do with it, and how to know we've done it well.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these gatherings, we welcome a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, we may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session II of Series X, Rick Ganz welcomes our special "guest" Dorothy Sayers.
For Part I of Session #7: A Portrait of a Literary Artist (C.S. Lewis), we will discuss The Pilgrim’s Regress: An Allegorical Apology for Christianity, Reason, and Romanticism (1933). Walter Hooper, Lewis’ great Assistant and Literary Executor of all of Lewis’ works, writes: “Lewis’ first prose work, The Pilgrim’s Regress, was an attempt to explain the elusive experience he called JOY, and the part that it played in his conversion [to a humble acknowledgement of God, and eventually to “mere” Christianity].”
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these gatherings, we welcome a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, we may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session I of Series X, Rick Ganz welcomes our special "guest" John the Apostle.
The Advent Meditations are an annual habit of the Faber Institute, offered in support of expanding and deepening your spiritual practice during the season of Advent. Traditionally offered in a written form, this year The Advent Meditations have been reimagined as audio meditations composed and presented by Tara Ludwig of the Institute.
On each of the four Sunday mornings of Advent, you will receive an invitation to explore a traditional Advent scripture, via an e-mail link that will lead you to that week’s audio meditation. The Meditations aim to enrich your experience of Advent not by “adding” something to your busy to-do list, but by helping you to become more alert and awake to how God is laboring in all that you are already doing to prepare for Christmas.
May these meditations be a blessing to you as you await in joyful hope the coming of Emmanuel, “God with us”.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these gatherings, we welcome a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, we may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session IV of Series IX, Rick Ganz welcomes the Great Poets of Advent and Christmas.
The Advent Meditations are an annual habit of the Faber Institute, offered in support of expanding and deepening your spiritual practice during the season of Advent. Traditionally offered in a written form, this year The Advent Meditations have been reimagined as audio meditations composed and presented by Tara Ludwig of the Institute.
On each of the four Sunday mornings of Advent, you will receive an invitation to explore a traditional Advent scripture, via an e-mail link that will lead you to that week’s audio meditation. The Meditations aim to enrich your experience of Advent not by “adding” something to your busy to-do list, but by helping you to become more alert and awake to how God is laboring in all that you are already doing to prepare for Christmas.
May these meditations be a blessing to you as you await in joyful hope the coming of Emmanuel, “God with us”.
TFS [The Faber Sessions] of Fall 2021 invite us to attend to and to “read” a musical literature published, and greatly cherished, some sixty years ago. The point of looking there is for the sake of gaining a redeeming, discerning insight into the cultural and social turbulence of our today. We may find in that particular literature “a mirror” in which more clearly to recognize ourselves, where we stand before God and one another.
We will “read” the likes of: Bob Dylan (a Nobel Laureate), Arlo Guthrie, Simon and Garfunkel, John Denver, Seals and Crofts, the Beatles, Sam Cooke, the Moody Blues, Cat Stevens, Marvin Gaye, Carole King, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Neil Diamond, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, and others.
This episode features musician Cat Stevens.
The Advent Meditations are an annual habit of the Faber Institute, offered in support of expanding and deepening your spiritual practice during the season of Advent. Traditionally offered in a written form, this year The Advent Meditations have been reimagined as audio meditations composed and presented by Tara Ludwig of the Institute.
On each of the four Sunday mornings of Advent, you will receive an invitation to explore a traditional Advent scripture, via an e-mail link that will lead you to that week’s audio meditation. The Meditations aim to enrich your experience of Advent not by “adding” something to your busy to-do list, but by helping you to become more alert and awake to how God is laboring in all that you are already doing to prepare for Christmas.
May these meditations be a blessing to you as you await in joyful hope the coming of Emmanuel, “God with us”.
The Advent Meditations are an annual habit of the Faber Institute, offered in support of expanding and deepening your spiritual practice during the season of Advent. Traditionally offered in a written form, this year The Advent Meditations have been reimagined as audio meditations composed and presented by Tara Ludwig of the Institute.
On each of the four Sunday mornings of Advent, you will receive an invitation to explore a traditional Advent scripture, via an e-mail link that will lead you to that week’s audio meditation. The Meditations aim to enrich your experience of Advent not by “adding” something to your busy to-do list, but by helping you to become more alert and awake to how God is laboring in all that you are already doing to prepare for Christmas.
May these meditations be a blessing to you as you await in joyful hope the coming of Emmanuel, “God with us”.
The Fireside Gathering is an annual gathering – on the Sunday that commences Thanksgiving Week – of friends of the Faber Institute. It is at this annual gathering when we explicitly ask that those who are of the Institute help us financially. We never have, and never will, enter into a “fee for service” model, because we pass on to you what we have freely received. It is a joy to rely on God for our future, who gives us our friends to help us.
The Fireside Gathering is an annual gathering – on the Sunday that commences Thanksgiving Week – of friends of the Faber Institute. It is at this annual gathering when we explicitly ask that those who are of the Institute help us financially. We never have, and never will, enter into a “fee for service” model, because we pass on to you what we have freely received. It is a joy to rely on God for our future, who gives us our friends to help us.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these gatherings, we welcome a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, we may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session III of Series IX, Rick Ganz welcomes back special "guest" St. Bonaventure for Part II.
TFS [The Faber Sessions] of Fall 2021 invite us to attend to and to “read” a musical literature published, and greatly cherished, some sixty years ago. The point of looking there is for the sake of gaining a redeeming, discerning insight into the cultural and social turbulence of our today. We may find in that particular literature “a mirror” in which more clearly to recognize ourselves, where we stand before God and one another.
We will “read” the likes of: Bob Dylan (a Nobel Laureate), Arlo Guthrie, Simon and Garfunkel, John Denver, Seals and Crofts, the Beatles, Sam Cooke, the Moody Blues, Cat Stevens, Marvin Gaye, Carole King, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Neil Diamond, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, and others.
This episode features musicians Joni Mitchell and Cat Stevens.
This Talk takes place as we will have just entered the 30th Week in Ordinary Time. Another way of perceiving what these “time” markers are is to recognize what the Catholic Liturgical Calendar describes a “journey” that we all take each year, along which journey we meet holy people (on the feast days of Saints), we meet Jesus, and those around Him in His public life, in the midst of the most profound moments that are the divine and human foundation of our beautiful Faith.
Yet, the Liturgical Year is not really for travelers on a “journey” as it is for pilgrims who set out in faith towards a holy destination, not really knowing what will become of them each year when meeting again the Saints and our Lord Jesus in the midst of His own pilgrimage, which we call His public life.
Just as the thousands of years-old pilgrimage routes in Europe always pass through the same landscape and towns (the unchanging route is an essential point), so the Liturgical Year always follows the same “route.”
What is not the same each year is us! Because last year changed us, and some of us profoundly (some of us entering into eternal life!), so we should experience this year’s pilgrimage differently, with deeper insight.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these gatherings, we welcome a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, we may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session II of Series IX, Rick Ganz welcomes our special "guest" St. Bonaventure.
The world is a complicated place, easily able to distract and to confuse us. And we each are well able to add to its complexities when we have forgotten from where – that is, from Whom – we are, and towards what – that is, towards Whom – we are.
Remember the fierce clarity of Jesus about this very thing even as He was about to enter the darkest, most confusing time of His earthly life. See John 13: 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God…
A pilgrim may not know much, but he or she knows enough if he or she, knows from Whom and towards Whom he or she goes. Armed with this clarity, the Way becomes for us that of a Pilgrim.
The structure of the Retreat will be that of the most famous Retreat format known in the Western world – the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.
The world is a complicated place, easily able to distract and to confuse us. And we each are well able to add to its complexities when we have forgotten from where – that is, from Whom – we are, and towards what – that is, towards Whom – we are.
Remember the fierce clarity of Jesus about this very thing even as He was about to enter the darkest, most confusing time of His earthly life. See John 13: 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God…
A pilgrim may not know much, but he or she knows enough if he or she, knows from Whom and towards Whom he or she goes. Armed with this clarity, the Way becomes for us that of a Pilgrim.
The structure of the Retreat will be that of the most famous Retreat format known in the Western world – the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.
The world is a complicated place, easily able to distract and to confuse us. And we each are well able to add to its complexities when we have forgotten from where – that is, from Whom – we are, and towards what – that is, towards Whom – we are.
Remember the fierce clarity of Jesus about this very thing even as He was about to enter the darkest, most confusing time of His earthly life. See John 13: 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God…
A pilgrim may not know much, but he or she knows enough if he or she, knows from Whom and towards Whom he or she goes. Armed with this clarity, the Way becomes for us that of a Pilgrim.
The structure of the Retreat will be that of the most famous Retreat format known in the Western world – the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.
The world is a complicated place, easily able to distract and to confuse us. And we each are well able to add to its complexities when we have forgotten from where – that is, from Whom – we are, and towards what – that is, towards Whom – we are.
Remember the fierce clarity of Jesus about this very thing even as He was about to enter the darkest, most confusing time of His earthly life. See John 13: 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God…
A pilgrim may not know much, but he or she knows enough if he or she, knows from Whom and towards Whom he or she goes. Armed with this clarity, the Way becomes for us that of a Pilgrim.
The structure of the Retreat will be that of the most famous Retreat format known in the Western world – the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.
The world is a complicated place, easily able to distract and to confuse us. And we each are well able to add to its complexities when we have forgotten from where – that is, from Whom – we are, and towards what – that is, towards Whom – we are.
Remember the fierce clarity of Jesus about this very thing even as He was about to enter the darkest, most confusing time of His earthly life. See John 13: 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God…
A pilgrim may not know much, but he or she knows enough if he or she, knows from Whom and towards Whom he or she goes. Armed with this clarity, the Way becomes for us that of a Pilgrim.
The structure of the Retreat will be that of the most famous Retreat format known in the Western world – the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.
The world is a complicated place, easily able to distract and to confuse us. And we each are well able to add to its complexities when we have forgotten from where – that is, from Whom – we are, and towards what – that is, towards Whom – we are.
Remember the fierce clarity of Jesus about this very thing even as He was about to enter the darkest, most confusing time of His earthly life. See John 13: 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God…
A pilgrim may not know much, but he or she knows enough if he or she, knows from Whom and towards Whom he or she goes. Armed with this clarity, the Way becomes for us that of a Pilgrim.
The structure of the Retreat will be that of the most famous Retreat format known in the Western world – the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.
TFS [The Faber Sessions] of Fall 2021 invite us to attend to and to “read” a musical literature published, and greatly cherished, some sixty years ago. The point of looking there is for the sake of gaining a redeeming, discerning insight into the cultural and social turbulence of our today. We may find in that particular literature “a mirror” in which more clearly to recognize ourselves, where we stand before God and one another.
We will “read” the likes of: Bob Dylan (a Nobel Laureate), Arlo Guthrie, Simon and Garfunkel, John Denver, Seals and Crofts, the Beatles, Sam Cooke, the Moody Blues, Cat Stevens, Marvin Gaye, Carole King, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Neil Diamond, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, and others.
This episode features musicians Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these gatherings, we welcome a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, we may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session I of Series IX, Rick Ganz welcomes our special "guest" the Author of the Letter to the Ephesians.
TFS [The Faber Sessions] of Fall 2021 invite us to attend to and to “read” a musical literature published, and greatly cherished, some sixty years ago. The point of looking there is for the sake of gaining a redeeming, discerning insight into the cultural and social turbulence of our today. We may find in that particular literature “a mirror” in which more clearly to recognize ourselves, where we stand before God and one another.
We will “read” the likes of: Bob Dylan (a Nobel Laureate), Arlo Guthrie, Simon and Garfunkel, John Denver, Seals and Crofts, the Beatles, Sam Cooke, the Moody Blues, Cat Stevens, Marvin Gaye, Carole King, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Neil Diamond, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, and others.
This episode features musicians Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these gatherings, we welcome a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, we may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session III of Series VIII, Rick Ganz welcomes our special "guest" Madeleine L'Engle.
The year 2020 has been profoundly unsettled, and unsettling, for all of us. It was about loss … and gain. But in order for us to know “what happened”, we must know how effectively to “recollect”. It is not about us “remembering everything” – this, that, and the other thing – but about gaining the ability to grasp what specifically we “lost” and what specifically we “gained”. And THIS great achievement of understanding can best be accomplished when a group of people seek in the Holy Spirit to help one another get there.
The year 2020 has been profoundly unsettled, and unsettling, for all of us. It was about loss … and gain. But in order for us to know “what happened”, we must know how effectively to “recollect”. It is not about us “remembering everything” – this, that, and the other thing – but about gaining the ability to grasp what specifically we “lost” and what specifically we “gained”. And THIS great achievement of understanding can best be accomplished when a group of people seek in the Holy Spirit to help one another get there.
The Mothers’ Retreat is an annual ritual at the Faber Institute for mothers of all ages, from new moms with babies to empty nesters and grandmothers. Tara Ludwig, Spiritual Director at Faber Institute and mother of three little ones, will act as Retreat Director, guiding us through a reverent exploration of the power of “Mother”. Together, we will consider how our spiritual capacities as mothers create depth and meaning within our own homes and families, as well as empower us as agents of tenderness in a broken world. Through deep reflection and prayer, inspiring and honest dialogue, as well as shared laughter and tears, we will be at common cause in affirming the dignity of motherhood and its role in fostering a more united human family.
The Mothers’ Retreat is an annual ritual at the Faber Institute for mothers of all ages, from new moms with babies to empty nesters and grandmothers. Tara Ludwig, Spiritual Director at Faber Institute and mother of three little ones, will act as Retreat Director, guiding us through a reverent exploration of the power of “Mother”. Together, we will consider how our spiritual capacities as mothers create depth and meaning within our own homes and families, as well as empower us as agents of tenderness in a broken world. Through deep reflection and prayer, inspiring and honest dialogue, as well as shared laughter and tears, we will be at common cause in affirming the dignity of motherhood and its role in fostering a more united human family.
The Mothers’ Retreat is an annual ritual at the Faber Institute for mothers of all ages, from new moms with babies to empty nesters and grandmothers. Tara Ludwig, Spiritual Director at Faber Institute and mother of three little ones, will act as Retreat Director, guiding us through a reverent exploration of the power of “Mother”. Together, we will consider how our spiritual capacities as mothers create depth and meaning within our own homes and families, as well as empower us as agents of tenderness in a broken world. Through deep reflection and prayer, inspiring and honest dialogue, as well as shared laughter and tears, we will be at common cause in affirming the dignity of motherhood and its role in fostering a more united human family.
The Mothers’ Retreat is an annual ritual at the Faber Institute for mothers of all ages, from new moms with babies to empty nesters and grandmothers. Tara Ludwig, Spiritual Director at Faber Institute and mother of three little ones, will act as Retreat Director, guiding us through a reverent exploration of the power of “Mother”. Together, we will consider how our spiritual capacities as mothers create depth and meaning within our own homes and families, as well as empower us as agents of tenderness in a broken world. Through deep reflection and prayer, inspiring and honest dialogue, as well as shared laughter and tears, we will be at common cause in affirming the dignity of motherhood and its role in fostering a more united human family.
The Lenten Meditations are an annual habit of the Faber Institute, offered in support of expanding and deepening your spiritual practice during the season of Lent. The Lenten Meditations, reimagined this year as audio meditations, are composed and presented by Tara Ludwig of the Institute.
The core of these Meditations, offered on each of the six Sundays of Lent, concern six Friends of Jesus, who, each in turn, were to Jesus a significant comfort and strength during His passion.
May the companionship of the Friends be a blessing to you, as it was to Jesus, as you prepare yourself to receive the miracle of Easter.
*Theme music for The Lenten Meditations is “A Beautiful World” by James Angelino Piccolo
The Lenten Meditations are an annual habit of the Faber Institute, offered in support of expanding and deepening your spiritual practice during the season of Lent. The Lenten Meditations, reimagined this year as audio meditations, are composed and presented by Tara Ludwig of the Institute.
The core of these Meditations, offered on each of the six Sundays of Lent, concern six Friends of Jesus, who, each in turn, were to Jesus a significant comfort and strength during His passion.
May the companionship of the Friends be a blessing to you, as it was to Jesus, as you prepare yourself to receive the miracle of Easter.
*Theme music for The Lenten Meditations is “A Beautiful World” by James Angelino Piccolo
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these gatherings, we welcome a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, we may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session II of Series VIII, Rick Ganz welcomes our special "guest" Job of the Book of Job.
The Lenten Meditations are an annual habit of the Faber Institute, offered in support of expanding and deepening your spiritual practice during the season of Lent. The Lenten Meditations, reimagined this year as audio meditations, are composed and presented by Tara Ludwig of the Institute.
The core of these Meditations, offered on each of the six Sundays of Lent, concern six Friends of Jesus, who, each in turn, were to Jesus a significant comfort and strength during His passion.
May the companionship of the Friends be a blessing to you, as it was to Jesus, as you prepare yourself to receive the miracle of Easter.
*Theme music for The Lenten Meditations is “A Beautiful World” by James Angelino Piccolo
The Lenten Meditations are an annual habit of the Faber Institute, offered in support of expanding and deepening your spiritual practice during the season of Lent. The Lenten Meditations, reimagined this year as audio meditations, are composed and presented by Tara Ludwig of the Institute.
The core of these Meditations, offered on each of the six Sundays of Lent, concern six Friends of Jesus, who, each in turn, were to Jesus a significant comfort and strength during His passion.
May the companionship of the Friends be a blessing to you, as it was to Jesus, as you prepare yourself to receive the miracle of Easter.
*Theme music for The Lenten Meditations is “A Beautiful World” by James Angelino Piccolo
The Faber Sessions #5 will take, in turn, the first three of her famous and compelling and profound Tales of Earthsea, an imaginary world that she creates, in which some of the most consequential issues of the meaning of human life in our world are winningly illuminated.
The Lenten Meditations are an annual habit of the Faber Institute, offered in support of expanding and deepening your spiritual practice during the season of Lent. The Lenten Meditations, reimagined this year as audio meditations, are composed and presented by Tara Ludwig of the Institute.
The core of these Meditations, offered on each of the six Sundays of Lent, concern six Friends of Jesus, who, each in turn, were to Jesus a significant comfort and strength during His passion.
May the companionship of the Friends be a blessing to you, as it was to Jesus, as you prepare yourself to receive the miracle of Easter.
*Theme music for The Lenten Meditations is “A Beautiful World” by James Angelino Piccolo
The Faber Sessions #5 will take, in turn, the first three of her famous and compelling and profound Tales of Earthsea, an imaginary world that she creates, in which some of the most consequential issues of the meaning of human life in our world are winningly illuminated.
The Lenten Meditations are an annual habit of the Faber Institute, offered in support of expanding and deepening your spiritual practice during the season of Lent. The Lenten Meditations, reimagined this year as audio meditations, are composed and presented by Tara Ludwig of the Institute.
The core of these Meditations, offered on each of the six Sundays of Lent, concern six Friends of Jesus, who, each in turn, were to Jesus a significant comfort and strength during His passion.
May the companionship of the Friends be a blessing to you, as it was to Jesus, as you prepare yourself to receive the miracle of Easter.
*Theme music for The Lenten Meditations is “A Beautiful World” by James Angelino Piccolo
The Faber Sessions #5 will take, in turn, the first three of her famous and compelling and profound Tales of Earthsea, an imaginary world that she creates, in which some of the most consequential issues of the meaning of human life in our world are winningly illuminated.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these gatherings, we welcome a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, we may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session I of Series VIII, Rick Ganz welcomes our special "guest" Rene Girard.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these gatherings, we welcome a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, we may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session III of Series VII, Rick Ganz welcomes our special "guest" Dionysius the Areopagite.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these gatherings, we welcome a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, we may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session II of Series VII, Rick Ganz welcomes our special "guest" Dante Alighieri.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these gatherings, we welcome a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, we may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session I of Series VII, Rick Ganz welcomes our special "guest" Daniel of the Book of Daniel. We will explore the famous six “folktales” that constitute Daniel 1-6.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these gatherings, we welcome a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, we may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session IV of Series VI, Tara Ludwig invites us into an encounter with the wonder of the second Divine Person come as a baby.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these gatherings, we welcome a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, we may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session III of Series VI, Bill Zuelke introduces us to St Ignatius of Loyola and the Spiritual Exercises.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these gatherings, we welcome a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, we may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session II of Series VI, Paul Pastor introduces Scottish author George MacDonald and the idea of a childlike image.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these gatherings, we welcome a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, we may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session I of Series VI, Geordie Ziegler introduces Eli the Final Prophet of Shiloh and the topic of living in the "in-between."
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these gatherings, we welcome a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, we may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session I of Series VI, Geordie Ziegler introduces Eli the Final Prophet of Shiloh and the topic of living in the "in-between."
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these events, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering each time a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, he may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session V of Series V, Joel Kibler of People of Praise introduces Saint Teresa of Avila.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these events, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering each time a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, he may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session III of Series V, Dr. Steve Moore introduces Charles and John Wesley.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these events, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering each time a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, he may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session III of Series V, Dr. Paul Anderson introduces the artists of The St John's Bible.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these events, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering each time a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, he may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session III of Series V, Dr. Paul Anderson introduces the artists of The St John's Bible.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these events, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering each time a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, he may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session II of Series V, Fr. Steve Lantry welcomes into our gathering Rumi the Poet.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these events, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering each time a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, he may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session II of Series V, Fr. Steve Lantry welcomes into our gathering Rumi the Poet.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these events, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering each time a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, he may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For the first session of Series V, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering Ephrem the Syrian.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these events, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering each time a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, he may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For the final session of Series IV, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering Julian of Norwich.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these events, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering each time a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, he may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session III of Series IV, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering the St Gregory of Nyssa.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these events, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering each time a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, he may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For Session III of Series IV, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering the St Gregory of Nyssa.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these events, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering each time a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, he may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For the Session II of Series IV, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering the Holy Spirit.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these events, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering each time a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, he may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For the Session II of Series IV, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering the Holy Spirit.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these events, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering each time a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, he may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For the first Night School of Series IV, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering Hosea the Prophet.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. For each of these events, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering each time a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, he may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For the first Night School of Series IV, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering Hosea the Prophet.
This is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. Each of the Tuesday evenings (the 3rd Tuesday of each month), Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering each time a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, he may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For The Night School Series III, Session IV, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering St. John of the Cross.
This is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. Each of the Tuesday evenings (the 3rd Tuesday of each month), Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering each time a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, he may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For The Night School Series III, Session III, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering Catherine of Genoa.
This is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. Each of the Tuesday evenings (the 3rd Tuesday of each month), Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering each time a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, he may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For The Night School Series III, Session II, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering Plotinus.
This is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. Each of the Tuesday evenings (the 3rd Tuesday of each month), Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering each time a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. For example, he may invite Aristotle (4th century BCE) to attend, and through some short and penetrating texts from his writings to give us his best thoughts on friendship. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For the first Night School of Series III, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering Ezekiel the Prophet.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. In each class, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For The Night School of Series II, Session IV, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our Karl Rahner, SJ.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. In each class, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For The Night School of Series II, Session III, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering St. Anselm of Caterbury.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. In each class, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For The Night School of Series II, Session II, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering Ignatius of Antioch.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. In each class, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For the first Night School of Series II, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering the Book of Ecclesiastes.
The Night School is an adventurous exercise of greater depth and reflectivity than is normal for most people. In each class, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering a profound thinker, explorer, philosopher, painter, poet, theologian or mystic from the ancient or nearer past. This monthly habit offered by the Faber Institute is meant to be enjoyable, startling at times (surprised by the wisdom we have available to us if we know how to read such authors), and to be an experience of deep thought skillfully invited and engagingly presented.
For The Night School of Series I, Session V, Fr. Ganz welcomes into our gathering Irenaeus of Lyons.